#i never felt the need to make another inquisitor

[tahopo]

i know i went into the idea of a teen rook as a funny haha thing but i actually think a teen inquisitor would be like, a Certified Horror story.

[gffa]

I'm going through my screencaps from Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade and it really kills me that I can't recommend this book to more people because it's from the point of view of a character falling to the dark side, so on the surface it comes across as very Jedi critical, but as someone who constantly keeps a hawk's eye out for what the other Jedi say and do so I can put it in my citations project, let me tell you, this book drives me absolutely up the wall with how much I was handed on a silver platter for how it's structured. It's a book that's set from the point of view of a troubled young Padawan, Iskat Akaris, and everything in her thoughts is about how she does try to let go of her anger, which she finds very difficult, but she also constantly craves battle and violence and seeks to find ways to justify that. She's offered by multiple people to find avenues to help her, but she always turns away from them, because they're not exciting enough for her. She never tells anyone directly of her struggles and any time another Jedi expresses support, somehow it's never good enough, she assumes it's not real empathy (because she thinks they wouldn't agree with her feelings--she doesn't want to be an archivist, she wants to fight, she doesn't want to take a regular position with the children in the creche--despite that she was really good with them and felt calmer afterwards--because she wants to be out in the galaxy fighting), and when she makes mistakes, she looks to justify why it wasn't her fault (she doesn't actually care about the civilians her actions hurt, she just cares that Adi and Yoda are telling her she has to be more careful). She's offered mentorship multiple times, by Jocasta, by Josk, Master Klefan talks to her frequently, Adi and Yoda make a point to tell her that two specific Masters are available to speak to, the Council offers her a position in the creche because they think she'd do well there--but that's not the excitement she craves, it's not the admiration for her battle skills that she wants, so she turns away from it. She's offered a position that's clearly very dear to them, it comes with multiple compliments and that they say it's meant to be beneficial to her as well (with the implication of how much it calmed her), and yet she sees it as a demotion, because it's not a mission with action and fighting. Everything that is the opposite of what a Jedi needs to seek. And it's done with such deftness to Iskat's point of view that, if you're not paying attention, it might seem like she is justified in these things. But when you look beyond her, you see how hard the Jedi are trying to help her, how many hands they hold out to her, and I want to write entire essays about this book but arrrghhhh I'm probably the only one who read this book in this specific way and who still has tolerance left for unreliable narrators who unfairly criticize the Jedi, but I can see the consistent pattern of how compassionate they are beyond it, so I feel I'd just be yelling into the void even more than I usually do, so instead I just sit with my feelings, like, I enjoyed this book through this lens, but it's a lens that scrapes a lot of people's nerves raw, so I can't blame them, but also oh man there's so much to chew on in this book and I just have to delete these caps as I make my way through my backlog. Arrrghhh.

[dungeons-and-dragon-age]

ok sorry i'm just. ????

rant and spoilers ahead because i gotta yell into the void a little

first of and most of all. WHY does it sound like Solas front and center of everthing now??? Including both Inky's and Rook's stories/motivations???? Like okay i understand that Solas will inevitably be important in Rook's story and that's chill! We knew he was gonna play a part in this story! But why do they make it sound like half or Rook's purpose is just there to further Solas's story/character

and it quickly becomes clear that Rook will have their own unique relationship with Solas, as the Inquisitor did before them. I think what's been fun for us, too, is trying to build Rook as kind of almost a mirror of Solas.

Epler also acknowledges that the Inquisitor “obviously has a very personal relationship with Solas,” one that will need to be reckoned with in The Veilguard.

“And I'd say the Inquisitor, to some degree, feels guilty or responsible for what Solas is doing to the world. So while we're not going to get too far into details about what role they may play, they absolutely are somebody who is going to be interested and invested in the outcome of Rook's journey in The Veilguard.”

Why. are you telling us how our Inquisitor is supposed to feel about this?? When you play DAI you agree to play The Inquisitor, yes, but you don't agree to play someone who Cares About Solas. Like. Yes. I get that he is important. That much has been clear since Trespasser. And i'm ok with that! But how come you say "this is a game about Thedas and a world in conflict" and then also talk like this story is About Solas, Actually.

The other thing i absolutely do not get and do not like. At All

Those decisions are: who your Inquisitor romanced (with the options gender- and lineage-locked in the same way that they were in Inquisition), whether or not you disbanded the Inquisition, and whether you vowed to stop Solas or save him.

?????

No "who drank from the WoS"? No "who is Divine"? No "does OGB Kieran exist"? No "is Hawke alive" (Varric is there. SURELY he cares about this a lot)? No "what happened to the Mages & Templars"? No "were Wardens banned from the south"? Arent't those uh. Really Relevant Decisions???? WHY is one of the whole grand three (3) decisions that carry over if Inky wants to save Solas or not. I mean ok i guess i get it cus that was The Big Decision TM at the end of Trespasser but again. Why is that the big thing that matters. out of all the things that SHOULD matter.

There's not as many decisions you have made up to this point that have an impact on what's happening in Northern Thedas.

But it’s also part of the advantage of moving the setting up to Northern Thedas, Epler says, with the prior games in the series taking place in Southern Thedas, a significantly different region both geographically and sociopolitically.

Uh. Yeah they do. See above points and also some that i forgot probably. Northern and Southern Thedas don't operate independently from one another that's not how this works. Especially again with things like the WoS or the Divine decision. Also half our companions from the other games are from the north?? I get what you mean kinda and it's true to an extent but not like this. I understand wanting to do a soft reboot but the explanation is. Kind of shoddy

for one, the team focused on choices that they felt they could react to meaningfully – not just a cameo or one-liner.

“There's never a sense of, ‘Oh, that decision doesn't exist.’ But maybe we don't touch on it in this particular title,”

The. Cameos and one-liners are what make it special though?? You can't say "We want those stories to be personal." and then say you're not making any of those small decisions matter. And i don't mean matter as in having A Big Impact TM but i know that a lot of us LIVE for those small tiny nods to previous decisions that make the world feel actually alive and connected. I understand that we can't have full on-screen cameos or questlines or whatever for every little tidbit but not even. idk. Background convos about what's going on in Orzammar? Gossip about Ferelden's monarch? A line from Varric about Bartrand? Dunno man. Again not to mention the Big Things like Kieran. or the Well of Sorrows consequences. Or the Divine (which. yknow. is directly relevant everywhere except maybe Tevinter??). Those were always the things that made importing a worldstate so charming! because you could see the small little impacts that you have on the world. The tiny things like the line about the pigeons in Ferelden in DA2 or a wartable mission with Wade and Herren in DAI are so so special to me

[imageingrunge]

A needlessly thorough review of DATV so I can move on with my life:

WHAT I LIKED:

The story pacing flows better without all that open world slog from DAI I am not bombarded by 50 side quests that have no baring on anything other than rp flavor

The game is pretty, CC is nice

They gave you far more opportunities to flesh out your Rook's background than in DAI and da2 but it's not as fun has having a mini origin story from DAO

no fall damage and if u run out of a combat zone ur companions follow u too

Hossberg wetlands really remind me of dragon age awakenings and I like the way the blight looks there, it gave me a nice nostalgic feeling for the older games

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE (IN DETAIL)

Voice Acting & Dialogue

It is really hard to be invested in a game that feels the need to recap everything you just experienced from 5 minutes ago, (verging on insulting my intelligence) and the silliest part is while i do hate this I got so checked out after act 2 I needed the recap 

A lot of the dialogue and banter is just empty small talk and meaningless pleasantries that sucked the life out of me, had me longing for the days of hearing Ohgren's beer belches reverberate off the walls in the deep roads:

 Voice acting is really consistent, I hated it when you never knew how your inquisitor would sound in DAI sometimes too serious for a funny comment or like yelling at Cassandra and cullen over nothing - Rook is more consistent but it comes at a loss of personality every line is uttered in the same annoying tone that had me being like damn can he stfu already (da2 was ideal voice acting for me if they cant deliver that again just go back to a voiceless protagonist)

Me whenever my rook opened his mouth: i was getting violent on that skip button

The dialogue between rook and their companions holds it back from being enjoyable at all really- here's some examples:

Emmerich's personal quest in act 2: "I want to do this immortality rite it's a very high honor in my order but rook I might die in the process permanently, I am an orphan and afraid of dying" Rook: "You could die?!?! That's awful". In Origins you can have a conversation with Wynn about her inevitable death and respond in a manner similar to rook and Wynn teases you by saying "well i'm not going to live for ever dear" it made me smile and sad about not being able to really help her. Did not feel that way Emmerich though, Im so uninterested in him as a character my response and feelings are "old people die all the time" and then 'wait why the fuck haven't you done this immortality ritual yet instead dragging me over here to collect some flowers"

Companions & Romance

the flirt options aren't all that flirty, its just rook being nice, all the romance content seems behind a 'romance locked in' moment (that comes in so late in the game u already forgot who u were even flirting with at times) so you can't hop ur way from one bed to another before deciding on 'the forever one' (remember when I could ride the iron bull then break up and be with Cullen- I don't think that’s an option here)

The companions are all pretty forgettable, I did everyone's personal quest (with the exception of Taash tried to kill a dragon for them n failed so bad i just moved on) and forgot there was even an approval system with them or that I was supposed to pick choices for them. It felt like i was on a train going in one direction where it did not matter what I said or did to them they would be fine. It’s like I've lost and gained nothing by doing these quests. The deepest thing I learned about Emmerich is that he is a 50 yr old orphan scared of dying. And it makes me not care all that much about them beyond “I just need you to function enough to get me to the end of the game sure Taash embrace being Rivaini, yes Harding live peacefully w that Titan shit inside you idc… Lucanis..ahh what was ur issue again I forget”

I made Lucanis live peacefully with Spite (stuck as an abomination that's supposed to be as volatile as Anders & Justice) Let Emmerich become a lich and no one batted an eye. Everyone just heehee haw hawing over Emmerich's new skeleton form and I forget about spite a lot unless he comments on something i've killed. Was there supposed to be some moral quandary? to make Emmerich a lich I had to "kill off" Manfred... the walking skeleton who might as well have been a rock with a pair of googly eyes attached to him for all i care

I don’t want to help Bellara light funeral pyres in a puzzle game play style that isnt a deep message about death. I want Aveline's speech about reading her favorite book to her dying father after hawke lost thier mother.

For Neve's romance, it took the whole world falling part and everyone dying for her to kiss me for a 2 time and then pity fuck me and afterword she’s like I’m leaving don’t want to be too distracting. All these lines carry no weight like bad actors w no chemistry

jaw on the floor comparing this (first time I said "i love you" to neve)

to the first time I said it to cullen and how he treats u before the big battle

I get that she isn't lovey dovey but at 70 hrs in and 2 kisses it feels like she just dont love me </3

Combat - as a spellblade mage*

combat was this weird mix of sometimes fun sometimes a new and unique form of human torture (wydm press shift 4 times n hold down e then press V C and 2 IM ON A KEYBOARD!) Once u make it past level 20 u are immortal but ur enemies are sponges I dreaded every single dragon fight despite that being my favorite thing to do in DAI. Don't ever want to see another Ogre in my life they body me into corners that hitting space can't save me from.

At some point u just gotta run around the place a lot hoping ur companions can do the damage for you bc the mobs aren’t interested in them at all. i was spamming 2 n slamming on that E key hopping it would be over n done with already, If i wanted to play a flashy monster hunter game, well then id play tw3 at least that combat is fun.

Lore & Story building

At the end of Trespasser, I was under the impression that the conflict in DATV would revolve around solas amassing an army of elves all over Thedas to rebel against the Evanuris. He had a whole network of Spies working against the Inquisition and the Antaam, and planned to restore the elven people, upend their religious views, and try to tear down the veil as a way of atonement. So I was understanding of there only being 3 import choices ( 1- who you romanced, 2- Save or redeem Solas 3- Disband or Keep inquisition). But that's not the story we get; instead its this??

The veil jumpers are like engineering mages with no ties to Solas beyond being an elves. There is no religious struggle they just seem to accept that these Gods have always been evil and need to be stopped. Solas is just a one man army trapped in the fade off screen for like 70% of the game. Should I have just kept the inquisition around after all? The only mention I got was my disbanded inquisition choice was inky going "my name still carries weight in southern thedas" and it seemed like disbanding or keeping it would have an affect on how easy or hard it would be to stop Solas but no it really doesn't at all

“It doesn’t feel like a Dragon Age game”

A criticism I rarely take seriously because that can mean so many different things? Like what is it the atmosphere? The aesthetics? The “dArK fAnTasy” none of these things have ever stayed consistent in any dragon age game. And I’d say DA franchise lost its teeth/edge when dai rolled around it was pretty light in the world of dark fantasy

However…theyre kinda right this time around....

It doesn’t feel like a dragon age game because they removed a lot of the lore your were exposed to in the previous games to the point where this might as well be another game all together. (i am not even a lore nerd but i do need something there to feel like i am in a dragon age game)

Yes the city is named Minrathos you were are told of its cultural significance and history as the seat of the empire but looks like a shittier version of kirkwall (and I kept getting lost going around the map so I hated it even more for wasting my time) Honestly the city felt super high tech and out of place in a fantasy setting imo, I missed it when everyone lived in a wooden hovel in the middle of the woods.

There is no reason for the venatori to follow Elgarnan and ghilian'nan or for the Qunari either but it all gets hand waved away with "they offered us power"

Reading the Inquisitors letters made me feel like im in a spinoff game and the real story is happening somewhere else. And sad to like baby take me with you!! i want to save u from this nightmare

A lot of the factions are sanitized to the point of being boring Darvin's little 'we're warden we don't do blood magic that's just not right" baby I let the wardens sacrifice elves to Corphyeus 3 weeks ago :/

Qunari Culture

So the whole reason you were fighting the Antaam in DAI was because they believed you were in cahoots with Solas, who's whole plan to them is to sow chaos and disorder- that is a HUGE no no in the Qun so they see it as their sacred duty to stop you. The Qunari we meet in DATV mindless npc mooks who attack you not because your with Solas but because the Evil elven gos promised them uhh power n shit for stopping you. Like I know I did not just waste my time in DAI reading about how egalitarian the Qun is everyone is like a Hive, they depend on each other so selfishness is rooted out so wtf was going on in Treviso with these guys. A whole culture decimated down to being darkspawn mobs part 2

What made me never want to play another DA game ever again:

Everything you ever did in Orlais, Ferelden, Kirkwall is pointless. No matter what the last letter from the Inquistor is "yeah the blight reached the south Denerim is gone, ferelden is blighted beyond repair, we took back Skyhold but barely. The Venatori disposed of whoever you put in charge of Orlais and there's giant leviathans rising out the sea in Ostwick"  There is no conclusion to this it's just the state of the world now

I cant even pretend my non solas romanced Inky is happy and safe after all this? My hof and Alistar might as well be dead for all that it ever mattered. I get that the devs wanted a clean slate but did they have to burn my house down and salt the fields? It feels so spiteful and mean, like they wanted to make a whole separate game and tack on the "dragon age" title to it for money. If they're not interested in the lore or world building why should I? it made me fully checked out of the rest of the story. Like damn idgaf about elgar'nan and the other one give me back Redcliff

TLDR I dont know if i should be sad that I still care about this or glad its over either way im blocking all datv tags n moving on

[just-prime]

Tales of Squandered Potential

Oh hello again everyone who follows me for my Star Wars ranting!

So! Tales of the Empire. The Hat Man is at it again.

Episodes 1-3 : The Path of Boredom

As expected, all of the Morgan stuff was not my thing. She was boring in Ahsoka, she was boring here. The entirety of the three episodes just hammered home "this lady is angry" in a way that felt overdone because there is no arc. There's no growth, no interest, no nothing. It all just feels like Filoni trying to retroactively make his one dimensional character that gets killed off in the stupidest way possible feel super badass. However because we know that she gets killed in the stupidest way possible, everything falls flat and none of it feels earned. It also doesn't actually answer any of the many many questions that Ahsoka raised about her. She's just there, standing in front of a fire. That's all she does.

Thrawn is there for all of about two seconds, and every moment of it is painful, because here's the thing. WE KNOW WHAT THRAWN WAS UP TO AT THIS TIME!!! We have the book that explains all of Thrawn's many exploits as an admiral. This is only more evidence for the idea that Filoni has never actually picked up any of the canon Thrawn books. Which we kinda already knew, but this is all but confirmation. As I've previously said, and will continue saying, Filoni needs to contextualize Thrawn as a 100% big bad otherwise his Heir to the Empire fanfilm won't actually feel earned, so he is systematically destroying any and all nuance that Thrawn has had to make sure that new viewers only ever see him as an unredeemable evil.

And I know that there are a lot of you out there who are holding out for the possibility that this is all a misdirect by Thrawn! That this is all part of his grand plan to go back and help the Ascendency, and that he's lying to everyone about his intentions. But the sad truth is that Filoni doesn't give a rats ass about anything other than cartoonishly evil Thrawn which means we're never getting Eli, or Karyn, or Hammerly or any of the characters from the six fantastic canon books that Timothy Zahn so lovingly created. That was made very clear with Filoni's prioritization of Admiral Pellaeon, who for those who don't know is actually in the new canon Thrawn books too! He wasn't just left behind in Legends, Zahn brought him back into canon too! But again, being the Legends fanboy that he is, Filoni doesn't care about where Pellaeon should be canonically, so instead he's just shoehorned into the episode for no other reason then Filoni likes him.

Episodes 4-6 : The Barriss Content

Soooooo, why didn't Barriss get a full fucking season to herself??? I get the idea behind the 15 minute episodes, but it really makes it hard to tell any sort of cohesive story. It works far better as a snapshot of a couple of days in someone's life. So unfortunately, while I did enjoy them, Barriss's episodes felt really rushed and I found it really hard to tell when things took place. How long was she at the Inquisitor training center? Was it a day? Was it a month? Really would have been interested in actually seeing the inner workings but it all has to get brushed over in favor of her becoming an Inquisitor. A seemingly intentionally not named Inquisitor which makes me feel like they've run out of early Inquisitor names. Unless there's a trial period before you get a proper number? I don't know it was just one of those things that niggled at me. Another thing that niggled at me (which was also mentioned by the wonderful artist @stealingpotatoes, go give her art some love) is that her design is kinda boring as fuck? Like, you have Birdy-Mc-Skullface right there with such a neat design and yet all Barriss gets is a motorcycle helmet with very slight voice modulation.

But I digress. The fact that Barriss commits herself to the Inquisitorium via a ritualized fight to the death, and then goes "wait, the red light saber wielding, all black wearing, Darth Vader serving inquisitors aren't here to help people?" before immediately bailing is so funny to me. This girl cannot for the life of her commit herself to an organization without becoming disillusioned within 1-3 business days.

I'm not sure how I feel about it all being about Lyn? I was very much rooting for her to totally die in the ice shafts instead of what felt like a very last minute redemption arc?

Though speaking of the last episode...HOLY SHIT OLD BARRISS IS FUCKING HOT. *coughs* Excuse me. Anyway. I would have loved to see more of what happened in between eps 5 and 6. Seeing how she and the jedi kid escaped the planet, and where the two of them did after than in the very hostile Empire would have been a facinating story watch play out. Also, who is this female friend that Barriss is referring to when she sends the child away? Is it Ahsoka??? If it is...WHY WOULD YOU NOT SHOW US THAT REUNION??? Like I get the whole point of this is to set up Barriss to make the jump to live action like every single other Filoni character is curseddestined to do, but also you've had people waiting years to find out what happened to Barriss and it feels like they burned their biggest story possibility on a throwaway reference. Did she find Ahsoka? Did Ahsoka find her? When did they find each other? Was it pre-Rebellion? Was it after Ahsoka was already functioning as Fulcrum? Given that we now know the Fulcrum name originated from Anakin, did Barriss recognize the name and seek this mystery person out? I don't know it just feels again like more wasted potential.

Final Thoughts

Fuck this animation is good now! Can we get a new writer?

Like, even for the shit I was annoyed by, the entire show just looks fabulous. It makes me really really wish that ANYONE other than Filoni could make content in this style. Let the writers of Jedi: Fallen Order and Survivor do a Merrin episode or a baby Cal episode. Or the people doing The Acolyte, let them do Tales of the High Republic! Let anyone other than Filoni have a chance to create within the world of Star Wars animated content.

[plasticfreckles]

🌙 solavellan cohabitation enjoy 🌙

It is a long-known, well-tread path he takes. Rising from his slumber, making his own bath in the chamber (filling the tub with ice, melting it, then heating the water to just below evaporation because that takes less time and effort than getting servants do it for him), getting dressed, meditation and stretches, then walking down to the kitchens for a small breakfast to hurriedly eat in his rotunda before returning to his frescos.

It pains him that the stonemason doesn't know that once, ages before, his art covered every crevice in every wall in this place.

What's new on the path is that now, there is somebody else on this journey, changing it ever so slightly every time he wakes.

That now, the mattress is heavy with the imprint of another body; one who shares in his space willingly, enthusiastically. One that even if they sleep turned away from each other, will still hook a long-toed foot around his shin and pull him ever so slightly closer. One that makes sure the fire is bright and his feet warm before laying down next to him.

One that somehow, miraculously, does not invite Desire to his dreams, no matter what unseemly things he dreams of doing with it.

Lavellan sleeps less than he does; he often wakes to see her in her nightclothes, poking at the fire in the hearth before opening the balcony doors and fetching some water from her carafe to soak the soil of her plants. For someone who so easily complains of feeling cold, she has little problem going out in the winter, barefoot and sleeveless.

She has grown her own little forest in their chambers, since coming here; tangy herbs on the west balcony, bountiful hanging vines and tall ferns to keep away the eyes of the people below where they meditate and stretch away the nights aches (among.. more carnal activities, Solas admits).

The bigger of the two, the north balcony, where they sit to eat and read and talk, she decorated with plants from all over the continent and crystals alike. Sometimes he thinks his old magic is the only thing keeping the ground from failing underneath the weight of it all.

When they sit at their little table there, legs of castiron, top of stained glass, and she frowns at him over the pages in her hands, he's never felt more at home here.

A small, vile part inside of him despises her for it, that this enormous, loreful castle, his castle, needed a marred, unknowing woman for him to feel at home in it.

The bigger, gentler part inside of him, however, chants praises in a tongue long lost to time when she laughs at his comments to what she just read; never in mockery, always in soft, loving tones that end up agreeing with him.

She always apologizes for waking him, vowing to fix the creaking door hinges to their dressing room.

"Don't apologize. Being awake with you beats anything I could ever hope to find in the Fade." It makes her blush so deep it rivals the red of her nightgown, every single time.

Today, though, she has a reply for him, as well.

"Even when I'm so feverish you may as well sit in a pond?" It makes him laugh.

"The mattress was not that damp," he says, as he moves to sit on the edge of their bed and pulls her down into his lap. "But yes, even then."

Whatever her feeling the morning at her hip may have brought them, it is taken from them swiftly with a runner and a stack of parchment. Lavellan sighs and stands, though not before kissing his eartip.

The runner can barely look away from her chest, still in her nightgown.

-

They part sooner than he would like. They always do. They hide in the cellar library for their meal, sitting among veilfire candles and tomes older than even him. Sometimes she barely suppresses a giggle at the people going right past the door, looking for her. The Inquisitor's work is never done. It amuses him to no end that even though they do this every day, everyone else seems to forget that door exists.

They never look for him. An interesting turn of events, to be all but invisible inside of his own home.

He cherishes these little moments, when she pulls him close by his shoulders and kisses him over the tray of their breakfast before opening the door, walking upstairs and finding those who searched her in the cellars by her memory of their voices alone with impressive accuracy.

If he asks her at night what all those people needed of her, she will remember little more than their names and how they made her feel. How some of them thought nothing of tugging her along by her arm, looking at her ears and forgetting who she is. They look at me and see a knife-ear to see their will done. They forget I could open up a rift under their feet and disappear them in the Beyond.

She doesn't reply when he notes they might bank on her being too kind to harm then.

-

When she finds him at late at night, well through his fourth candle, still pondering his sketches and frescos in his rotunda, there's a promise of intimacy in her words, even though she carries the exhaustion under her eyes, in the stray hairs from her braids and the crisp smell of winter on her clothes.

"Night has long come, Solas. You've made enough art to last a lifetime, I think." A tug at his clothes, urging him to put down charcoal and parchment. "Wash off the paint, and I'll rub the tension from your shoulders. I brought some sweets up to our room."

He never realizes what sweets she speaks of until she mounts him under her lifted nightgown and presses his face to her breasts, bare from sliding the straps off her shoulders.

When he wakes the next morning, he decides, he will lure her back into the sheets after she opened the doors.

🌙

you can't tell me these two wouldn't smash all day every day if they could.

the fever saga continues ✨️

[daisymeade]

Armor

day 2 : veilguard 30

A chainmail tabard across his stomach, but nothing more than padded cloth on his sides. A silverite plate across his breast and piddling, exposed leather straps to keep it in place. It was no wonder the Grey Wardens needed preternatural abilities to fight the darkspawn. No amount of flexibility afforded by this armor was going to save your average fighter from an ogre's backhand.

Sidrin shifted uncomfortably in his new uniform, feeling exposed even standing idly within Skyhold's walls. The chilly air cut through his clothes despite that sodding quartermaster's guarantees that it would be warm. Considering she was Fereldan, one would think everything would come with fur lining.

Well, if I ever get truly desperate, I can shake a fur cloak out of that fake ass Warden...

As he was contemplating the logistics of shaking down the Inquisitor's lover, a familiar face appeared at his side: Gatsi Sturhald, builder of the mad Paragon Branka's statue. What a surprise it'd been to find such a fine artisan on the surface, a complex tattoo on his face and a job studying old mosaics.

Gatsi gave him a quick, appraising up-and-down before nodding. "It's a good look. You'll shape your fellow Wardens into something proper."

"If only we could start with this sodding excuse for armor," Sidrin hissed. "Have you seen the way they outfit their mages? You'd think those prissy flamethrowers couldn't cast through metal."

"I can't tell you anything about that," said Gatsi with a chuckle, "but if you want your new kit fortified I know a smith down in the valley, name of Tezpa. Traditional dwarven craftsmanship and a no-nonsense attitude. She'll have you the talk of the ranks in no time."

Sidrin nodded. "I might do that. Who's going to take me to task for it? I'd give them a piece of my mind and then some if anyone tried. This isn't how honored warriors should treat silverite."

"And if you're not busy later," Gatsi continued, stepping closer and resting a hand against Sid's lower back, "maybe you can meet me in the Herald's Rest for drinks."

That simple touch sent a spark like fire up Sidrin's back, only a gambeson and linen shirt separating skin. In the same instance, he felt himself turn and slap the stonemason's hand away, the breath pushed suddenly from his lungs like the falling of a boulder.

Sid glanced around before he turned back to Gatsi, jaw tight and a glare sharp as obsidian. You should know better.

Taking a deep, cleansing breath of the bitingly cold mountain air, Gatsi spoke again as if nothing had happened. "Cabot makes this great drink, real popular with our kin here in Skyhold. He's from back home too, but this mix is pure surfacer. Bet the deep lords have never even heard of it."

Deep lords? You've been up here too long, Sturhald.

As if he'd heard him Gatsi said, "You know, it's not as terrible on the surface as they wanted us to believe. It'll take a while to get used to things, sure, but some of those differences are good. Stones, if nothing else, we've got a lot more options here."

Sidrin stared across the courtyard, watching a dwarven scout walking past deep in conversation with the Tethras guy who asked too many questions. Gatsi stood silently with him for another minute before saying something distantly about completed mosaics and "too many reports", bidding Sid farewell with a pointed look.

Once alone again, it didn't take long for the Legion-Warden to begin heading for the elevator, desperate for heavier armor and a roiling forge.

[ellstersmash]

Veilguard loves & hates:

Love It:

the banter!!

overall the armor is very cool looking

don't really have to take a balanced party (but detonations help A Lot)

enjoyable mix of linear quests and exploration

at least some puzzles

more qunari lore that isn't "qun bad chantry normal"

GORGEOUS locations fr. like under the sea? you kiddin???

a lot of the quest location and actual quest designs were intriguing and engaging

the soundtrack on the quests was better than the main theme, in most cases

only experienced one bug (on PS5) so far and it was fixed with a reload

THE HAIR!! love that I can change it often—and I DO because there are so many cool options!

honestly the whole CC is very excellent

im in love with all my friends 🥴 and my friends love each other!! much more successful found-family vibes than Inquisition; more akin to DA2

so much talk about food and using food to come together and show love!!! big fan of that

I CAN PET AND HUG ASSAN (and will. all day.)

I do wish I could hug or interact with my romanced companion....but the overall romance and amount of references to it were acceptable. more than enough to get me daydreaming about my Rook and Taash 🥰

Rook's idle animations near the edge of something make me smile

the final battle (like the whole set of quests) felt appropriately dramatic and significant

my completionism paid off :}

the emotional stakes!! I cried like a baby more than once.

DREAD WOOF \o/

the ending (the one I got this round anyway) felt relatively satisfying, even though **

Hate It:

no lighting swap for the Inquisitor CC

no warning before the first major decision point/point of no return. never had my coffee date :(

no armor/outfit dye mechanic, and my god some of the color combos are.. certainly choices

no crafting system

very few legitimately casual outfit options

the main theme sounds like Harry Potter to me

so few meaningful callbacks to past games and choices... it felt impersonal and disconnected from previous game experiences

the way certain areas are walled off (either exploration areas during quests or vice versa) by some nebulous white haze is lazy

I love a DIY home base in my viddy games, but the decor mode is basically pointless. like that's time that could've been better spent elsewhere (like maybe improving the above point??)

loading a save drops you at a respawn beacon, so I'm always forgetting what undiscovered location I was gonna explore next

combat can be fun but is often an exhausting mash of swipe-and-dodge, since unless you use a companion's Taunt skill, every enemy will prioritize Rook for no reason, minus a few swings at the companions here and there (in Adventure mode)

no dedicated Open Map or Open Journal buttons

can't talk to solas whenever I want :(

the evanuris altars are boring. at least the fen'harel ones have some challenge to them, even if it's not a very difficult one

Davrin's talk about the Dalish is.. idk. mixed bag (update: I like his arc though, and Bellara provides another great perspective!)

the Crows are a good and benevolent organization now?? I thought Caterina abused Lucanis? I need to reread his story but it really felt like the writers didn't.

humorous dialogue options are rarely actually funny

dialogue trees don't flow very well, especially if you take one of "more information" options. they need better transitions

too much mythal 😤

**the ending left me with quite a few unanswered questions AND made my Lavellan look a whole-ass fool (I will be headcanoning otherwise, because I am a whole-ass fool)

[antianakin]

It's really interesting to compare Bode's story to Reva's, specifically in how they view family and the Jedi Order.

While it's a little unclear how Reva ended up in the Inquisitorius (I can't quite tell if they picked her up against her will and only after she was captured did she choose to use the position to try to kill Anakin, or if she intentionally let the Empire pick her up so she could join the Inquisitors so she could kill Anakin), there is a level of choice to what she's doing there. She knows what she is and where her loyalties lie and is choosing to keep hurting other Jedi in order to ultimately gain enough to power to get vengeance for the Jedi that Anakin killed. She's making this choice over and over again because she can't let go of her grief and anger enough to walk away. She's causing the same misery that she wants to get justice for, now.

Bode chose to join the Empire in order to protect his daughter and is hunting down the Jedi which leaves his daughter effectively captured by the same people who murdered his wife and would happily murder both him and his daughter anyway. He's putting his daughter right in the middle of the danger he's so scared of, constantly exposing her and leaving her alone with the enemy because he can't let go of that fear enough to find another way.

Reva still considers the Jedi family, despite what she's helping the Inquisitors do. She wants justice for her slaughtered family, for her desecrated home, for her lost life. And because of that, she does still have a strong connection to the idea of family, enough that Obi-Wan is able to use that to convince Reva to help distract Anakin long enough for the Hidden Path to escape. Reva is able to understand that there are other families among the refugees, families that will be getting destroyed if she doesn't help Obi-Wan escape with them, and so she does. She doesn't let Anakin destroy any more families. She's even in some ways touched by Owen and Beru's fervent defense of Luke, she's almost confused by the way they are willing to die for a Force sensitive child who isn't theirs. That concept of family MEANS something to her and is able to keep reaching her over and over again.

Bode, however, makes several snide remarks at Cal about how he could never understand the choice Bode made because Cal isn't a father. He's lessening the familial connection that existed (and still exists) between the Jedi, which seems to suggest that if Bode ever did feel like the Jedi were family, it wasn't enough. It almost makes me wonder if Bode was brought to the Jedi at the older end of the spectrum and so he still has memories of his birth family and struggles more with the Jedi lifestyle because of it, not unlike Anakin himself. And so when he makes a more "typical" family with a wife and a child, he considers that family more normal and his feelings for them more real and more powerful than anything Cal might feel towards the Jedi. And tellingly, the thing that truly gets him to betray Cal is the idea that Cal might want to help OTHER FAMILIES in the Hidden Path get to safety, potentially putting HIS family at more risk. He was willing to let Cal and maybe a few of Cal's friends come stay on Tanalorr, but the concept of just helping any family that needs it is a breaking point for Bode.

The concept of family, then, isn't really the same for Bode as it is for Reva. It doesn't truly mean the same thing to either of them and family for Bode is more about an extension of himself while for Reva family is about selflessness, it's about compassion and kindness and love. Reva can see other families, even families that look different from her own, and understand them. She can see them as equally as important as her own. She can want to protect them from feeling the loss that she has felt. Bode can't. Bode can't look at any other family and see them as equal, everything is inferior to his own because it's not about HIM.

And of course throughout the game we get comparisons between Bode and the Inquisitors, the Inquisitors keep getting called basically animals, dogs on Vader's leash, while Bode is something better.

But Reva is so much more human than Bode has ever been. Reva, an Inquisitor, has so much more capacity for understanding and compassion in her than Bode has ever shown. And we don't see that any clearer than in their reactions to the Hidden Path.

[geekywritings]

“I can’t lose you.”

You and Cal have been working for Saw Guerrera for a while now, even if you don’t always agree with the man’s methods. When a mission ends horribly, will Cal change his mind about his allegiance?

_____

At what point had the mission started to go wrong? Probably right from the start, you thought now. As it turned out, the intel you had received regarding the base deep in the words of Kasshyk had been wrong or outdated. It wasn’t supposed to be fully operational yet or packed with Stormtroopers. And there certainly shouldn’t have been any Inquisitors there.

It had probably been a trap.

And you had walked right into it.

The task had seemed so easy: Go in, place the detonators, leave and blow the entire thing up. You had managed part one easy enough, infiltrating the base through a ventilation shaft with a small team. One part of the group was supposed to go left and the other right. You chose to make your way to the engine room and came face to face with the 11th sister.

At the sight of an Inquisitor, your teammates had made a run for it, leaving you to deal with it. Lightsaber in hand, you prepared for battle. Inquisitors were never easy opponents and although the 11th sister wasn’t the strongest you had faced, she was good at parrying your strikes and blows, favouring a defensive technique against your offensive one.

The outcome of the battle would remain a mystery, however, because the entire building was soon rocked with explosions. The squad had placed the detonators and carried out the mission… regardless of your presence still within the base! You knew that Saw’s methods were extreme and that he was willing to accept collateral damage. You just never expected to become part of the sacrifices he was willing to make for a small victory.

Shielding yourself with the Force as much as possible, the next explosion’s shock wave sent you flying right out of the window of the base, head knocking unceremoniously on the ground, almost knocking you out. Another explosion followed, and you could feel the heat of the fire. You needed to leave before the next explosion followed.

Groaning, you turned, feeling your head pounding in pain. Dammit, you needed to get up, but your body was so slow to obey, preferring to succumb to darkness instead. Your sheer willpower kept you awake and moving. But far too slow. Another explosion and the shockwave sent you flying into the nearby trees, followed by a rain of debris. Broken ribs and cuts couldn’t kill you and neither could the concussion you suffered, but a surviving Inquisitor or Stormtrooper finding you in such a state certainly could.

Pain, so much pain, but you crawled forward, away from the base, trying to find a safe spot to rest. Perhaps someone would come looking for you… Cal would come, you were certain of it. He had gone on a different mission with Tarfful, but upon noticing your absence after his return, he would surely come for you. He promised to always do so. You just needed to hang in there.

Hidden beneath some gigantic leaves, you finally gave into fatigue, allowing your senses to slip into unconsciousness. You were woken by the sound of footsteps, though you didn’t know how much time had passed.

“Look, someone’s there.” The distorted voice suggested it was a Stormtrooper speaking through his helmet.

“Looks dead to me.”, another said, the voice almost identical.

“A Jedi…” Dammit, they had seen your lightsaber.

“What should we do?”, one of the men asked. “Bring her to the base?”

“What if she’s not dead? She could suddenly kill us.”

“Then maybe we should shoot just in case.”

You wanted to will your hand to reach for your weapon, but it refused to move. Your body felt so weak, so light… So this is how it would end…

“Don’t you dare.” Another voice, followed by a beep and the sound of an igniting lightsaber. The Stormtroopers turned and began to fire. Unsuccessfully, as all blasts were deflected and soon they lay dead before you. Instead, your saviour came into view.

“Cal…”, you managed to whisper, as he dropped to his knees beside you, taking in the damage.

“You are alive…”, he breathed out, relief thick in his voice.

“Told you, I am hard to kill.”, you replied, attempting a smile, but failing miserably.

Slowly, he took you in his arms, instantly loosening his hold at your wince of pain. “You are bleeding.”, he noticed, inspecting your head. Ah, that would explain why your body wouldn’t obey you. Too much bloodloss.

“I feel half-dead.”

“At least it’s just half.”, Cal himself failed to smile.

There was no making light of this situation. You had really come close to dying this time and you both knew it. The two of you had been in many a dangerous situation, cutting it close, but never like this.

Cal let out a slow breath, trying to find a position to pick you up in without causing you unnecessary discomfort.

“We won’t work with Saw anymore.”, he announced, causing your eyes to widen. You had suggested it a few times in the past, but the red-haired Jedi hadn’t been ready, too intent on his warpath against the Empire.

“Why the change of heart?”, you asked, as Cal began the track back to the Wookie village your base was located at.

“Because I cannot lose you, Starlight.”, he answered honestly. “I just can’t.” There was even a note of desperation in his voice that made you want to hug him tight. All you managed was a tighter grip on his vest, however.

This time your smile was genuine. “Thank you, Cal…”, you whispered, closing your eyes again to rest some more. You were safe now. You would always be safe with him.

[pileofsith]

Hello there (no pun intended),

I do not have any questions regarding the Grand Inquisitor/Nameless comic per se (which reminds me of the fact that I still need to leave a comment on Ao3), but I just wanted to say that you rewired my brain with the page on which Tion Medon talks about a young Grand Inquisitor being taken in by the Jedi without him knowing that the guy in front of him is actually the person in question (and the Grand Inquisitor looking kinda like a kicked puppy). I'm especially obsessed with the line "Very polite child, very sweet, but so very timid." due to the sharp contrast to who and what the Grand Inquisitor has become. 

On another note: I also love that one piece of yours that depicts the Grand Inquisitor scrambling on the floor, all bloodied up, after Darth Vader backhanded him as punishment for his failure on Lothal, because it just makes so much sense, especially after reading Charles Soule's Darth Vader series (2017). The way the Inquisitors are depicted as both abuser and abused in it is really fascinating, which makes me wonder whether Vader ever maimed the Grand Inquisitor like he did with the other Inquisitors. Do you have any thoughts on that? Also sorry if I'm assuming too much! You referenced the Grand Inquisitor's strained relationship with Jocasta Nu very early into the Grand Inquisitor/Nameless comic and since it was a bigger plot point in the Darth Vader series (2017), it felt like a natural conclusion. I'm currently trying to finish a little character study on the Grand Inquisitor, which is mainly based on that source, and your comic was a very big inspiration for me to even try writing down the first draft.

Either way, have a nice rest of the day! Can't wait to see more from you!

Hello! Huge thanks for your awesome ask and your kind words, made my day! Thank you for reading the comic!

And please do share what you'll create for your character study, I'd love to read it! :)

So: I have only read a few snippets from the comic series, but have definitely used them as a basis to expand on the Inquisitor's character - I'd love to read the whole thing, however, I don't know where to find it!

"The way the Inquisitors are depicted as both abuser and abused is really fascinating" <- This is 100% my opinion, too! I have a lot of thoughts about them that I have a hard time putting into words, but this really sums it up, thank you!

For my comic, I admit I am definitely woobifying him a bit, but I can't really help that when I write stuff about villains, I just tend to make everything three shades nicer than in the source material. :-/

But I do try to keep his main personality intact, I just glaze it over with a more sympathetic view than I expect a canon explanation could offer.

This is the pic you referred to, if anyone's wondering (it's super old but still checks out, lol):

I do not think Vader ever maimed him like the others, but I think he would have opportunities to casually injure or torture him, if he ever feels like it the Grand Inquisitor goes out of line. Having said that, I do think the Pau'an seems to be perpetually aware of the risks in working with Vader, as he does carefully defy some of Vader's decisions with a verbal objection, but he never tries to contradict him further if his input is dismissed.

My pet theory is that neither Reva nor the Grand Inquisitor were ever maimed as a lesson in loss because they had both already survived loss events that filled them with enough rage: for Reva, it's the massacre of her Temple friends. For the Grand Inquisitor, it's the end (betrayal?) of the Jedi Temple Guards he was dedicated to.

I also find it interesting how Vader reframes his own greatest "weakness" in Jedi terms - dealing healthily with loss - into a template for how to teach others how to turn into darksiders.

I generally think Vader treats imperial inquisitors similar to imperial officers - useful if competent, but ultimately expendable, and free to use as a squeaky toy to vent frustrations. For the Grand Inquisitor, since the Pau'an is really arrogant and thinks so highly of his own intellect, the most efficient way to put him in his place would be for Vader to flaunt his own Sith powers against the Pau'an's humble dependence on him, to deny him some knowledge or to humiliate/humble him in some way...

About "Very polite child, very sweet, but so very timid":

When Jocasta and the Grand Inquisitor fight in that comic, he says something along the lines of how he never felt he belonged among the Jedi. I thought that was a really good starting point to imagine his life decisions. What brought him from being wholly dedicated to protecting Jedi, to becoming a hunter of the very group he vowed to protect? It's such a contrast! There has to be some nice, meaty psychology there to dig into and explore.

I imagined him as a subconsciously lonely sort of child, being from a much longer-lived species than anyone else (and in an Order that values detachment, perhaps one would diagnose that as a problem), so that when he grew into a detached, bookish individual, he sought to gain belonging in the Temple Guard as a permanent fixture around which to base his whole life. But then the Jedi Order starts shaking at its foundations, and he wants to escape, but his particular ~*°special-secret-Force-magic°*~ vows to the Temple do not make it possible to just walk away like Ahsoka or Dooku did. And that leads to inner tensions and a pull to the Dark Side, eventually.

[bigfan-fanfic]

Windows Through the Past (HOF!Reader x Cullen Rutherford)

Requested by @iliumheightnights for  Another fic request! Cullen reuniting with his long time crush the HOF. Now the hero is a super powerful mage capable of fighting entire armies himself and he's been invited to help the inquisition for a mission?

"I believe the Commander is quite well-acquainted with this ally," Leliana smirks, still not revealing her plan, and Cullen has just about had enough of it.

She gives a giggle behind her hand once more before she states that she has invited the Hero of Ferelden himself to join the Inquisition's march on Suledin Keep.

Cullen is absolutely stunned.

And not all in anticipation of seeing the Hero again.

He had been stationed in Kinloch Hold, where the Hero had spent most of their years before the Fifth Blight took hold.

And had a quite awful experience with abominations as the Circle broke and demons ran rampant, capturing and tormenting him, using the image of the Hero himself to toy with his mind and heart.

He hadn't been kind, last he saw the Hero. And couldn't imagine that anything that Warden Amell may have heard would change that.

After all, he had acted with, shall we say, less than graceful manners at the uprising among the mages in the Gallows, and only when presented with the city's destruction did he take a stand against Meredith.

Cullen immediately resolves not to engage with the Hero. After all, he was trying to be more sensitive of the feelings of the mages serving in the Inquisition, and did not want to bring up any traumatic memories.

But then Leliana states (with an infuriatingly offhand tone) that Amell was actually quite looking forward to seeing Cullen, and now the poor man can't think at all.

It causes him no small amount of stress, puzzling over why Amell would wish to see him, and he comes to the conclusion that it's to enact justice for his crimes.

He can't even bring himself to argue this theoretical point, and resolves not to resist. He'll even alter the guard patrols to make sure Amell has a clear escape.

The Hero of Ferelden shall be his judge and executioner, a hand of the Maker given flesh.

Amell was rather stoic, last time he recalled seeing them. A side effect of the Harrowing, a temporary disorientation. But now, ten years later, the mage seemed... well, downright peppy.

Amell has decimated armies in fire, wiped out a darkspawn horde in a whirl of wind and ice, and summoned a rain of holy light, but now he - you - seem so... soft. Happy.

Cullen smiles despite himself. "You look well, Warden Commander."

"There's no need to be formal, Cullen. I've known you since your hair was still curly." you tease, and Cullen actually laughs.

"My apologies. We have not seen each other in so long, and our parting was... under unfortunate circumstances."

"I understand. I was glad to hear you were with the Inquisition."

"May I ask why?"

You tilt your head and sit. "Well... after Kinloch. I heard about you and Kirkwall. It wasn't great, what I heard."

Cullen nods. "It wasn't great living there, either."

"I feared you had lost your way, but seeing you here... working with mages once more - free mages at that! - I knew the man I once saw was still there."

"The man you once-"

"You weren't very subtle, Cullen. I know how you felt about me in Kinloch."

Cullen blushes. "My deepest apologies. I had never meant to-"

You raise a hand. "I liked you too, but... you were my jailer, Cullen, no matter how handsome and kind you were. I hoped, that after the Blight, you might come to see the truth."

He winces. "I fear I am not the man you seek yet. I... the Inquisitor asked me my view of the Circles, and I responded that I see their necessity. For teaching, for ensuring abominations do not occur."

But you are patient. Far more than Cullen deserves. "And yet you saw in the Gallows, in Kinloch, that the Circle as it is does not do that. I agree that the Circles should still exist as places of instruction and learning, but not as prisons. Not to rip children from their parents. Did you know I had a brother, Cullen?"

"N-"

"Neither did I. That I had a mother that wished to see me and a father that never got to. That Irving was tricking young mages into pursuing blood magic. That the templar order, the Chantry, wanted us all turned into Tranquil."

Cullen would've denied it if it were anyone else. But you have lived it, as he had. You say it so concisely that Cullen cannot refute it. Not now that he has seen red lyrium, seen how easily the Templars fell.

"I struggle, sometimes... knowing that the world after this Inquisition will be far different. I am trying... but I have done so much ill towards the mages. I still fear the power of magic even as I know the wrongs the Circles and the Templars have done."

You grin at him. "The Cullen I had known would not even be questioning it. You have far to travel, Cullen, but you are on the road I hoped you would be."

He looks at you and the words tumble out before he can bid them stop. "Would you ever be able to consider me something other than a jailer? I would pledge myself to you in an instant if you desired it of me."

Immediately Cullen winces in horror, ashamed of his outburst, of asking this of you considering your history together, but you simply tilt your head.

"How about we simply see what the new world after the Inquisition holds? Continue on your path, and I shall endeavor to help you see the signposts. And perhaps someday I might see you as a companion."

Cullen nods. "Then let us proceed with the battle plans, Ser. We must hasten the new dawn."

[hpowellsmith]

How do you feel when romanceable NPCs get together with each other? I'd love to hear what you do and don't like about it!

I have very strong feelings about this topic so I feel the need to voice my opinion. 😄 Personally, I hate ROs romancing each other, and here’s why. Romance in IF is the most important element for me and the deciding factor whether I even want to play a game or not. When I romance someone, I want it to feel special, like we are soulmates who were destined to be with each other, so seeing unromanced ROs being equally happy with someone else ruins this fantasy. I don’t really feel guilty for getting in the way of other romances like other people have said, more like I feel hurt that our romance isn’t that special after all. Also the fact that the other person my chosen RO can fall in love with is right there, be it the other RO or NPC, make it seems like my MC was just lucky to start their relationship first, and perhaps if the MC was just a bit more shy they could have missed their chance altogether. Of course, it won’t happen because of game mechanics, but realistically it could have happened in-universe.

Another thing is, I tend to replay games a few times to romance different ROs, so if I see that RO who I romanced in another playthrough is now happy with someone else, it makes me jealous and breaks my heart on behalf of my MC. It’s like they’re "cheating" on my MC in alternative universe, while my MCs don’t cheat because I make a brand new MC for each RO. Maybe this is all a bit silly and overly dramatic, but that’s how I feel. 😆

There’s also an issue of quality of romance, so to speak. I’m going to use good old Dragon Age as an example. Fenris and Isabela’s relationship doesn’t bother me that much because their relationship is basically friends with benefits, while their relationships with Hawke are much more romantic and full. It’s not a real competition because the quality of romance with each of them is better when they’re with Hawke. Dorian and Iron Bull’s relationship, on the other hand, is much more annoying, because their romance is presented as this perfect love that seems to overshadow their possible relationships with Inquisitor. I never bring them together in the same party if I romance someone else! 🤣 So yeah, if relationship between ROs has to happen, I prefer it to be at least easily preventable. By the way, I also love matchmaking non-romanceable NPCs like Aveline, so I'm all for it!

Now I wonder how much negative feelings the lack of romance between ROs causes in people who love it when ROs date other people. Is this as upsetting for them as the presence of such romances is upsetting for people like me? Or is it just a nice bonus if it’s there? 🤔

this is in response to the question:

How do you feel when romanceable NPCs get together with each other? I'd love to hear what you do and don't like about it!

Now I wonder how much negative feelings the lack of romance between ROs causes in people who love it when ROs date other people. Is this as upsetting for them as the presence of such romances is upsetting for people like me? Or is it just a nice bonus if it’s there? 🤔

This sort of thought - I may even have seen you mention it elsewhere back in the day! or it may have been from other people - was why I made the decisions that I did in Royal Affairs (where you can matchmake or discourage but it's in the player's hands) and Honor Bound (where the MC is the catalyst for polyamorous romance and the NPCs either don't consider it at all, or discard it quickly if that's not on the cards because of where they're at emotionally). Basically, I saw people expressing strongly negative responses about the romances occurring, but where positive responses happened it was less strong, and more "this is cool to encounter and I enjoy it". So with both games I figured that I'd focus on things where players felt more broadly positive (ie the PC-NPC romance).

I don't relate to the soulmate feeling exactly, but I totally understand wanting the PC-NPC romance to feel special and that the PC is a priority for the NPC, especially if it's a monogamous romance. On a personal level, I like the Fenris/Isabela interaction a ton, whereas I'm not into Garrus/Tali (it felt like a "pair up the spare characters" thing to me), and I have mixed feelings about Iron Bull/Dorian (I never finished either of their romances though, so can't say for sure how their romance compares to the Inquisitor ones).

I haven't decided whether NPC-NPC romance will happen in the new project, or how serious it'll be; at the moment I'm leaning towards no, or perhaps that it'll be more like a very casual Fenris/Isabela-style setup. A lot to think about!

[thebaldursmouthgazette]

Okay so I’ve finished the game, here’s my spoiler free review:

This is possibly the best game I’ve ever played and I’m not kidding. Sure it has flaws, but they’re all fairly small and are vastly overshadowed by the quality of the game as a whole

The pacing is a little weird right at the beginning while everything gets introduced, but this settles down quickly and once it does it’s perfect for the rest of the game.

The stakes feel as high as they should, fighting gods. It feels like a challenge and never stops feeling like a challenge, and that makes your wins so much more satisfying

Your team is a team, and they’re as close to each other as they are to you. They aren’t just people all in the same place whos only connection is you, they help with each others personal quests, they have conversations in the lighthouse, they form meaningful connections with each other and your allies. They feel like real people and a cohesive team.

The side quests aren’t filler. Almost all of them are of vital importance either to the main plot or to your allies who are helping you. They all feel like they’re important enough to do while you’re dealing with the main story. I never once thought “why am I doing this shit, the worlds ending” and I don’t think I’d feel any desire to skip them on future playthroughs

You feel part of your faction. There are a couple of instances where I felt a little more reactivity to that would be good (I’m talking like maybe two times where they clearly didn’t bother to record an almost identical line to account for me being a part of the faction, nothing important), but for the most part you feel part of it and it really gives you a grounding in the world.

The emotional beats hit hard. There was a part where I actually sobbed. And I am not exaggerating. I do not mean I was a little sad. I mean I went through multiple tissues and had to have a break for a moment. I have never outright sobbed at a video game before

There were a few things that could have been better, I think a couple more choices should have carried over (though not as many as I thought before. I mean it would be nice, but not necessarily needed and the improvement wouldn’t necessarily justify the hassle of a whole worldstate system) but the absence of them wasn’t game ruining.

One of the character storylines felt a bit out of place, and another made a somewhat bizarre plot decision, but the rest were really good.

I also feel like the characterisation of the inquisitor could have been better, and I know it was never going to be right because BioWare can’t read our minds and make a game for each individual, but I did at one point start questioning if I’d set my world state up right because of what my inquisitor was saying (I had). But again this wasn’t game ruining, I can just pretend she said something else.

Despite a few very nitpicky problems, overall this was a really amazing game. I enjoyed every moment of it, and it was not the solavellan game I was worried it would be. Just about every criticism people had of inquisition they listened to and solved, from the villain being too weak to the filler “gather these shards” and “save a druffalo” quests being a bane on everyone’s existence. They took that all in and made a really strong game with it.

Also: you know when they kept dropping earth shattering revelations and called them “minor spoilers”. They were right. Holy shit were they right.

[danaduchy]

Garrett Hawke had always been a man on the run. He had fled Lothering with his family, run from one crisis to the next in Kirkwall, and finally, he ran from himself after that fateful day in the Chantry. Hawke’s decision to put the knife in Anders' back haunted him.

He'd never spoken of it, and the people who had seen it—the ones still alive—were more likely to nod in grim agreement than raise a fuss. Anders had been reckless, dangerous. He had chosen his path, and Hawke had chosen his. But even if his companions agreed that the mage’s actions had left them with no other choice, Hawke couldn’t convince himself of that. Anders had been his friend. More than that, he had been the man Hawke loved. That knife was as much a betrayal as it was a judgment. When it slipped between Anders’ ribs, it was Hawke who bled.

He thought that one day, perhaps, he would have to pay for that act. So when the Seekers finally arrived, the weight of inevitability pressed against him, and he greeted it almost gladly.

But as it turned out, the Seekers didn’t want his blood. They wanted his help.

At first, he was almost disappointed. How was it that everyone seemed to think that he, Garrett Hawke, the man who lost everything and everyone he tried to protect, could fix their problems? He had failed his sister, his brother, and his mother. He had failed Anders, too, in a different way. He had tried to be the Champion of Kirkwall, and all he had become was a symbol of the city's fractures.

"You want me?" he said to Cassandra, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, though there was no warmth in it. "You think I’m the right choice for whatever mess you’ve got? I’m the man who couldn't even save his family."

Cassandra’s expression was as stony as ever, but there was something softer in her eyes. "The Inquisition needs someone who understands sacrifice. Someone who knows what it means to fight for something greater than themselves, even when it means losing. You have done that, Hawke, whether you believe it or not."

The words stung, cutting deeper than he expected. For a moment, he nearly refused. It would have been easier to let them drag him off in chains than to put his life on the line again for a world that seemed determined to tear itself apart. But there was a flicker of something in him—maybe defiance, maybe a desperate need for some kind of redemption—that made him agree.

"If nothing else," he told Cassandra, "it’ll get me out of this damned city."

Kirkwall held too many ghosts, anyway. He was ready to leave them behind, even if he couldn’t escape the shadows they cast.

Varric offered to come with him, of course. The dwarf lounged against the bar, a smirk on his lips that Hawke knew all too well. "You know I can’t let you go running off into trouble without me. Think of all the material I’ll miss out on. Hawke, the hero turned inquisitor—it’s got a certain ring to it, don’t you think?"

Hawke rolled his eyes, but there was a warmth there too. They both knew the real reason Varric was coming. The dwarf had always been good at making light of things, spinning humor out of even the darkest moments. But Hawke knew Varric’s smiles were often a mask, just like his own. He was worried, though he’d never admit it.

"More fodder for your stories, right?" Hawke shot back with a lopsided grin. He tried to keep his tone light, but the weight of what they were about to do pressed down on his chest. This wasn’t just another adventure. They were stepping into a new war, one that promised to be as brutal as anything they had faced in Kirkwall.

As they left the city behind, Hawke couldn’t help but look back over his shoulder, at the jagged skyline of the place that had been both his refuge and his prison. He thought of the people he had known there, those who had died and those who had stayed. He thought of the blood that stained his hands and the ghosts that followed him still.

The journey to Haven was a long one, but as they traveled, Hawke felt a strange sense of weight lifting from his shoulders. Out here, in the cold and open air, the world seemed bigger. The sky stretched out infinitely, and for the first time in years, he felt like there might be room to breathe.

But there were no illusions of grandeur. Hawke knew himself too well. He had never been good at being the leader others wanted him to be. He was a blunt instrument, a blade rather than a shield. Yet, there was something about the way people looked at him in Haven, as if he could actually be the savior they needed.

In those early days, the Inquisition was a fragile thing, held together by desperation and hope. When he stood before the soldiers and scouts, telling them that they would take the fight to the Breach, he saw their eyes light with something dangerously close to faith. It was disconcerting—he, of all people, should have been the last one anyone believed in.

But somehow, he found himself doing it anyway. Leading. Fighting. Trying to be the man they thought he was, even when he doubted every decision, every order he gave. He put on the mask of confidence, of strength, because if he faltered, the cracks in the Inquisition would become too wide to mend.

And then there was Dorian.

When Dorian arrived, Hawke’s first thought had been that the last thing he needed was another mage with a flair for theatrics. He had known Tevinter mages—selfish, arrogant, wielders of power that too often bent toward cruelty. He still remembered the likes of Danarius, who had scarred Fenris beyond recognition. He didn’t expect much from Dorian, expecting the same haughty superiority and hidden malice.

But Dorian turned out to be something else entirely, and it unsettled Hawke more than he cared to admit. There was a confidence to him, yes, but it was tempered with a surprising wit and a willingness to poke at Hawke’s carefully constructed walls. The Tevinter mage saw through him almost immediately. It was infuriating, how easily Dorian could unearth Hawke’s insecurities with a well-placed jibe, that sly smile playing on his lips as he did so. It was as if he enjoyed the challenge of cracking through the Champion’s cynicism.

"You have that look again, Hawke," Dorian would say, lips curling in that ever-present smirk, "like you’re contemplating whether to punch a wall or recite a brooding soliloquy about the darkness of the world. Both would be terribly predictable, you know."

Hawke would glare, but he couldn’t quite hide the amusement tugging at his mouth. "And you’d prefer I wax poetic about how the light in your eyes reflects the firelight, Dorian? That’s more your style, isn’t it?"

Dorian would scoff, but his eyes would soften in that way Hawke had come to recognize—a moment of genuine amusement that was all the more precious because it was real, unguarded. And for all their verbal sparring, Dorian stayed. He saw the weight that Hawke carried, the way he drove himself to exhaustion to keep the Inquisition from falling apart. Dorian never tried to offer sympathy, never pushed too far when the shadows of Hawke’s past loomed large. Instead, he simply stayed by his side, offering a steadying presence in a way that Hawke hadn’t realized he needed.

In the quiet moments between battles, when the camp settled into a wary rest and the Breach burned like a sickly green scar against the night sky, they would share drinks and trade stories. Hawke would find Dorian’s gaze lingering on him, a complexity there that made him feel raw and exposed. It was a look that seemed to ask questions without demanding answers—questions Hawke wasn’t sure he could ever answer. He wasn’t used to that kind of scrutiny, the way Dorian’s gaze seemed to cut through his defenses without ever pushing too hard.

It made him think, just for a moment, that maybe he didn’t have to carry this burden alone. That maybe, there was room for something other than duty and guilt.

But it was too early to hope for things like that. He had let himself believe in the possibility of something better once, back in Kirkwall, and he had paid for it in blood. So, he kept those thoughts buried beneath layers of armor, both literal and otherwise, and focused on the task in front of him. There was a war to fight, and he couldn’t afford to let his guard down.

Yet, when Dorian would laugh at one of his dry remarks, or when he’d place a hand on Hawke’s shoulder with a casual familiarity that made Hawke’s chest ache in ways he couldn’t quite understand, he would catch himself wondering—just wondering—if maybe this time could be different.

For now, all he could do was fight, leading the Inquisition against the chaos that threatened to consume the world. He fought with a desperation that was both familiar and terrifying, but he fought alongside people who believed in him, even if he couldn’t understand why. And Dorian was there, at his side, sharp-tongued and unyielding, a reminder that there might still be more to life than just fighting and surviving.

Maybe, if they managed to survive all this, Hawke could let himself think about what came after. But for now, he kept his eyes on the Breach, on the next battle, on the lives he had sworn to protect. And he prayed that this time, when it all came crashing down, he wouldn’t be the one left standing amidst the ruins, blood on his hands and guilt heavy in his heart.

[horseshoegirl]

Dragon Age: Inquisitor!JavyMachado

Hey, somebody had to be the Inquisitor...

Javy sat at his desk, the dim light from the flickering candle casting long shadows across the war room. The map of the south of Thedas, reports, and letters were strewn about, but his gaze was distant, unfocused.

It had been a long day—hours, weeks, months since he’d had a moment to himself. He didn’t know what time of day it was anymore. All he knew was the weight of the Inquisition’s demands crushing him.

Another life-or-death decision loomed on the horizon. Another group of lives he’d have to decide fates for. The constant pressure, the choices that never felt right, that always left someone behind—he couldn’t escape it. He couldn’t escape the fear that no matter what he did, he would always be the one to lose.

The door to the war room creaked open, and he looked up, half-expecting to see one of his advisors or one of Lelianna's spies coming to remind him of some new task.

Instead, it was her.

Her name still felt too soft on his tongue, like something he didn’t deserve to speak. She was his closest companion, his confidante, the one person who had stood by him through everything—whether it was endless battles closing fade riffs, political scheming, or the deep, gnawing uncertainty that came with being the Inquisitor.

She stood in the doorway, her expression unreadable. “You’re still here,” she said softly, stepping into the room.

Javy shrugged, trying to mask the exhaustion in his voice. “There’s always more to do.”

“I’ve noticed.” Her tone was light, but there was an undercurrent to it. Something deeper. Her eyes lingered on him for a moment before she took a few steps closer, her boots quiet against the stone floor.

He watched her carefully, afraid of what she might say—or worse, what she might not. For weeks, he’d been aware of how she looked at him when she thought he wasn’t paying attention. The way her gaze lingered a little too long.

He was no fool. He could see it in the subtle shifts of her posture, the way she reached for him in battle without hesitation, the way she always seemed to be near when the weight of the world felt unbearable.

He couldn’t let himself acknowledge it—not while he was Inquisitor. Not while he was the one making the impossible choices. The ones that could tear their world apart or tear them apart.

That could tear her apart.

“You should rest,” she said quietly, her voice pulling him from his thoughts.

He shook his head, letting out a heavy sigh. “Rest doesn’t seem like an option these days.”

She didn’t speak immediately, and for a long moment, there was only the sound of their breathing. Then, almost too quietly to hear, she said, “I’m worried about you.”

Javy’s heart skipped. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had said that to him. Not in this way. Not with the tenderness that only someone who truly cared could convey. And that scared him. More than the chaos swirling outside the doors of Skyhold. More than the war against the demons, the mages, or the templars.

More than Corypheus.

He set the quill down and stood, turning toward her. “You shouldn’t be.”

Her lips pressed together, and her eyes flashed with something he couldn’t quite name. “I can’t help it. I see how hard you’re trying to hold it all together and what it’s doing to you.”

“I didn't have a choice. I don’t have a choice,” he said quickly, his voice tighter than he intended. “The world depends on the decisions I make.”

“And what about you?” she asked, taking a step closer, her voice soft but insistent. “What about what you need, Javy?”

He didn’t know how to answer that. He hadn’t given himself a moment to think about what he needed in months, maybe longer. He was the Inquisitor. His needs didn’t matter. Only the mission mattered.

But staring at her, he realized how wrong he was. She mattered. And the thought of losing her—of pushing her away with the decisions he had to make—was a fear he’d been burying under the weight of his duties.

He wanted to get out of his chair and reach out to her, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t risk it. Not now. Not when the world teetered on the edge of destruction.

“I’m… I’m not the man you think I am,” he said, his voice low, almost a whisper.

Her eyes softened. “And what do you think I see?”

He shook his head, the words stuck in his throat. “That someone else should be in this role. That Cassandra should have fought harder for Hawke or that she...”

Her brow furrowed, and she took another step closer, her hand reaching out to touch his arm. “That’s not true,” she said, her voice firm. “You’re not the monster you think you are. You’re human, Javy. And you’re doing the best you can.”

He swallowed hard, looking down at her hand resting on his arm. Her touch was warm, grounding. He didn’t want to pull away. Didn’t want to push her back. But he was so afraid of what his decisions might do.

“I’m scared,” he confessed, the words escaping before he could stop them. “Scared that everything I’m doing will drive you away. That the things I have to choose will change me into someone you won’t want to be around.”

Her gaze softened, and she stepped closer until they were inches apart. “Javy,” she said gently, “nothing you do will make me leave. I’m here with you, no matter what.”

And for the first time in what felt like forever, Javy allowed himself to believe that—truly believe it. The Inquisitor he was supposed to be, the leader burdened with saving the world, didn’t have to be the man standing alone in the dark. Not if she was willing to stand beside him.

It wasn’t much, but in that moment, it was enough.